Don't underestimate the power of car aromatherapy. Do you struggle with carsickness? Or tend to get a little hot-headed while driving? Or perhaps long road trips at night require a pick-me-up to rejuvenate and restore your concentration. Essential oils can really help with these issues. Here's a run down of which ones can help!
Thankfully there are a whole array of essential oil diffusers for your car - USB ones, diffusers that sit in the cup holder, those that stick onto the dashboard and more. Depending on your car and driving habits, we'd recommend doing some research as to which one might work best for you.
Lemon
Lemon is a great choice for those long car journeys. It helps improve concentration and stay alert, allowing for strong focus when driving. Lemon oil can decrease your chances of getting distracted or making mistakes. If you're tired or feel like you're not paying as much attention as you should, try adding a few drops of lemon oil to your car diffuser.
Lemon also helps reduce anxiety, which is great if you're new to driving, which can make driving stressful. If you're partial to a little road-frustration, lemon might also help you relax and have a clearer head.
Another reason why lemon oil is a great choice for car diffusers, is that it can help with motion sickness by relieving symptoms of nausea.
Try blending lemon oil with rosemary, eucalyptus, lime, cedarwood or grapefruit!
Mandarin
Mandarin oil has been found to reduce stress, anxiety and lift negative emotions. While it is known as a sedative, its sedative effects are best at calming anxiety rather than inducing sleep, so can be effective for car aromatherapy. Like lemon oil, this could be helpful for new drivers or those who experience negative emotions while behind the wheel.
Mandarin essential oil can be blended with bergamot, lime, basil, grapefruit and cedarwood.
Grapefruit
Grapefruit shares many qualities with lemon and mandarin. It can help reduce stress, promote calmness and make you feel alert. However, it can also help relieve fatigue. This makes grapefruit essential oil great for long road trips. Grapefruit EO has a substance called limonene in it, which can also help relieve stress and reduce appetite - so you won't need so many snack breaks!
Add a few drops of Grapefruit EO to your car diffuser, or use it in a spray cleaning solution for wiping down the inside surfaces of your car. The oil has disinfectant properties which means it doesn't just have to be used for car aromatherapy. Grapefruit oil blends well with lemon, rosemary, sage, ylang ylang and patchouli.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus essential oil helps improve mental exhaustion and sluggishness, allowing you to stay awake and alert during long car journeys. This can also help you when driving early in the morning or late at night.
Eucalyptus also has deodorising properties, which can be helpful if you had spills in your car.
This oil can help improve memory, increasing alertness.
However, be cautious when using eucalyptus EO around children as they can have adverse reactions to it if it is too strong.
Try blending Eucalyptus with rosemary, lemon, tea tree, spearmint and lemon in your car diffuser.